Blob Toolkit

## Hey there.

Thanks for checking out the toolkit.
Raster
Vector
Other info
Download
Click on whatever you're interested in, or just keep scrolling if you want to see it all.

## Raster Image Editing

Raster image editing is all about images with pixels, tiny little squares (not blobs ;_;) that make up your image.
Good raster image editors include:

- GIMP (free)
- Paint.NET (supports plugins)
- Pixlr (online)
- Adobe Photoshop (paid)
- Pixelmator (macOS, paid)

You've probably used Microsoft Paint before, and, while it's good enough for cropping up an image or two, it doesn't support transparency, and if you're looking to become a blob pro, you should really get some brand-new tools to match.
To start whipping up some fresh blobs, grab a few PNGs of your choosing from the toolkit and slap 'em together.
It doesn't matter if your first few attempts don't look quite right, just try and get a feel for the way your editor works.
Once you think you've gotten something good, go ahead and submit it.
Don't feel too down if it doesn't get accepted, blob masters have failed more times than rookies have even tried. Give it another go, and you'll make great blobs with practice.

#### Top tips for raster editing:

1. Avoid scaling down too much. Raster images lose quality when scaled down, and doing it too often will make your blob not look as good when previewed.
2. Keep parts in seperate layers, for example, a base layer, a face layer, and a hat layer. Having your image split up into layers will make it easier to edit specific parts of it later.
3. Try to make sure things you add in fit the style. With raster images, it's very tempting to bring in things from outside of the blob world, but doing so can make your blob not-so-blob-like. Check if there are any Google-style emoji of what you're looking for first, before bringing in other things.
4. Save your project files often. With raster images, it's harder to step back when you make a mistake.

## Vector Image Editing

Vector image editing is about curves and corners. Vector images are nice because you can scale them without losing any quality.
Good vector image editors include:

- Inkscape (free)
- Google Drawings (web)
- Adobe Illustrator (paid)
- Adobe Flash Professional/Animate (paid)

Vectors can be pretty confusing, especially if you've never worked with them before. What do these little handles and lines mean? How do they affect my image?
Luckily, if you're not that familiar with Bézier-type curves, I have the thing just for you.
This little game here lets you learn how to use curve tools by outlining some common shapes.
It's a pretty nice introduction to vectors, and once you've gotten a grip on it, you can crack open your vector image editor and try out doing some shapes for yourself.
If you still can't get a grip on vectors, there are many tutorials online for vector editing that'll help you get off the ground.

#### Top tips for vector editing:

1. Try to keep single objects to single shapes. There will be many occasions where multiple shapes will be necessary, but for things like fingers on a hand, you should try and keep them to one shape.
2. Avoid overusing Boolean shape transformations. While clicking a few buttons to slap your images together is very appealing, it often leaves sharp edges or quirks that you'll end up noticing right as you submit your blob.
3. Keep your curve handles parallel unless you're doing a sharp corner. The closer the handles are to being parallel, the smoother the curve will be at that point.
4. Strip out all raster content from your image before you publish it. While a raster reference image or two can be useful, they step away from the point of vector images in the first place and won't look as good in your final result.

## Other information

The blob toolkit is mainly maintained by devon#4089 but additions and suggestions are welcome. If you see anything that looks off in the toolkit, make sure to contact me!
Contributor list for the version of the toolkit you are using:

- devon#4089 (122122926760656896)
- GlitchyPSIX#5904 (110092082000965632)

Some frequently asked questions:

#### I have something I want to add to the toolkit!

Make sure to contact me and present your suggestion. Ideally I would want an SVG that fits the standard set dimensions of a Google emoji (128px*128px), but I would also accept a 4096px*4096px PNG (see below about legacy images)

#### What's the difference between Extras and Google Repository Extras?

Google Repository Extras are taken directly from the Google Noto repository. This means that all of the files in it are actual Google emoji. On the other hand, anything in the standard Extras folder is typically edited or created from scratch to add to the toolkit.

#### What version of the toolkit am I using?

The help file you are seeing is for toolkit version 1.0.3, astonished face, created at 2017-05-13 01:09UTC.

#### Change logs

1.0.3, astonished face: 2017-05-13 01:09UTC

- Title tag added to help file (thanks spookz)
- Many more eyes and mouths added after high demand
- Fixed CAT_FACE not using spaces and having unfixed SVG settings
- Bullet points dropped in the help file (gateway to possible redesign)

1.0.2, anguished face: 2017-05-04 00:03UTC

- Google Repo emoji placed into single folder with subfolders
- Blush bases added to replace legacy blush extra
- "WHITE_SMILING_FACE" removed for being un-blob-like
- Underscores in file names changed to spaces
- Most remaining legacy items (primarily hands) placed into folder structure with SVGs, with lesser used legacy items removed
- Meta tags added for encoding (thanks Danny) and OpenGraph
- Auto-cropping now done on PNG renders

1.0.1, angry face: 2017-04-28 00:04UTC

- Created help file
- SVGs included for many parts of the toolkit
- Contributor list created
- Elements organized into basic folder structure